| Abstrakt: | The subject of this dissertation is the analysis and interpretation of select Polish
prose published after 1989. The thesis stems from the conviction that literary works
constitute a unique example of recorded social consciousness. I am interested in literary
representations of a shift in approach towards perceptions of prestige, behavioral models
and social unrest as a result of Poland's transformed political and economic realities. In
the dissertation, I present how experiences resulting from the turmoil of systemic
transformation are thematised and functionalised in literature. The proposed range of
themes aims to describe the internal dynamics of how Polish society is shaped and to
analyse the changes it has experienced as presented in literary texts.
The paper is divided into two parts. I start by analysing literary texts which
enables me to take a closer look at the shifting identity of the newly emerging middle
class and reconstruct the process of change. Literary portraits of this social group are an
important element of critical studies presented in novels published after 1989. In my
work, I analyse how contemporary prose writers depict the Polish middle class - the
social group that is subject to perhaps the most dynamic of developments. The story of
our middle class is also the story of Poland's systemic transformation: it describes its
successes as well as the more embarrassing details. It is worth noting that literary
depictions of this group - although quite often presented in a stereotypical and cartoonish
manner - say a lot about the fears, needs and hopes of individuals functioning in a specific
social order. To fully understand the way in which the middle class functions in our
collective consciousness, I will also try to interpret popular texts published on the
Internet. In a sense the study of texts published online is bordering on literary studies, yet
they cannot be ignored - they are very helpful in recreating the development of social
consciousness, and not only describing its de facto state. After all, literary texts with
diagnostic aspirations do not function in a communicative vacuum, but (re)interpret the
themes and aesthetics presented in television series, online broadcasts or journalistic
texts.
In the second part, I look at the values at the heart of neoliberalism that give a
distinctive meaning to life in the 21st century. Although neoliberalism is a concept
without a singular, fixed definition and is often misused (most often used incorrectly as a synonym of classical liberalism), in many analyses of the global economic crisis
it is indicated as the doctrine "responsible" for novel social experiences. This is
because neoliberalism is now commonly a synonym for an ideology that breeds
inequalities in access to power and resources, and is often cited as a source of conflicts in
public and economic life. Neoliberal practices, which result in the fabrication of social
myths and a collective representation of values, are becoming the object of increasing
criticism from writers of contemporary Polish prose. Contemporary novels often include
an ambivalent assessment of systemic transformation, but in my paper I focus on
writings criticising specifically the neoliberal foundations of Poland's economic
transition. This literature clearly demands a change in attitude towards society as a whole
and a change in the language describing social relations. It is a voice calling for social
responsibility and solidarity.
I interpret these experiences as novel because they have been subject of reflection
in the public discourse only in recent years. What is therefore interesting in these literary
works is the attitude of individuals (writers) towards the fundamental issues of our time. I
treat literary texts as a valuable supplement to social diagnoses formulated by
sociologists, cultural scientists and anthropologists. |